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To knockoff, or not?

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, federal officials conduced a serious raid on the distributors of counterfeit goods, arresting 29 people and seizing over $230 million in knockoffs. (This story came courtesy of our dear friends at WWD. The fashion community is thrilled. After all, knockoffs (especially good ones, as bad "PRANA" bags belie their masquerade) serve to diminish and downplay the value of the original. But less obvious examples aside, there are so many "borrowed" or "inspired by" designs in stores these days that it's often tricky to determine the origins of, say, a flounced sleeve, a floral pattern, a shape of dress. My theory: I'll never buy a deliberate knockoff - after all, designs are intellectual property - but I suspect that I can't help but pick out a designer-ish cheapie every so often. What's your position?